The FDA is warning people not to eat any products containing peanut butter because of a salmonella outbreak. Officials say the major brands of peanut butter, sold in jars and plastic containers are not a problem.

Nearly 500 people have gotten sick from salmonella poisoning in 43 states. The contamination may also be linked to six deaths.

The FDA has created a searchable database for the recalled products. It seems like the list will continue to grow, so it would be wise to check it before consuming any peanut butter containing foods.

Here is a list of the products so far recalled:

Peanut Corporation of America, King Nut and Parnell’s Pride
Several King Nut and Parnell’s Pride-branded peanut butter products and peanut butter paste made by Peanut Corporation of America have been recalled. These products were sold to institutions and food processors, not retailers.

The original recall, announced Jan. 9, was expanded several times — on Jan. 13, Jan. 16 and again on Jan. 18. The following is an updated list of all products associated with the company’s recalls:

For information on Peanut Corporation of America-related recalls, call 1-877-564-7080 or visit www.peanutcorp.com.

Kellogg’s, Keebler, Austin and Famous Amos cookies, crackers and snacks
On Jan. 16, Kellogg recalled several Austin-, Keebler- and Famous Amos-brand cookies, crackers and snacks. People should destroy the following snacks, all produced after July 1, 2008, and seek a refund from Kellogg Consumer Response Center at 877-869-5633.

City Line distributorsOn Jan. 16, another tub of King Nut peanut butter was found to be contaminated with salmonella, this time at City Line distributors, in New Haven, Conn. It was the first unopened tub of peanut butter to show contamination, convincing officials that they had identified the source. The distributor had already sent possibly contaminated peanut butter to Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Hy-Vee cookies, party mixes and fudge
On Jan. 17, Hy-Vee Inc., of Des Moines, Iowa, recalled cookies, party mix and fudge because those products may be contaminated with the bad peanut butter. The products recalled, including products with all “sell-by dates” sold at Hy-Vee stores in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota, include:

McKee Foods’ Little Debbie brand sandwich crackers
On Jan. 18, McKee Food Corp. announced the recall of two Little Debbie products, both of which were manufactured after July 1, 2008, and both of which are manufactured by the Kellogg Company, which has previously announced recalls associated with its use of Peanut Corporation of America peanut paste:

Little Debbie Peanut Butter Toasty sandwich crackers — all sizes.
Little Debbie Peanut Butter Cheese sandwich crackers — all sizes.
Consumers who have purchased the recalled products are urged to discard the crackers but retain the freshness code and contact the company’s Consumer Affairs at 1-800-522-4499. The FDA press release on this recall did not specify whether or not the company is offering a refund.

South Bend Chocolate Company and retail brand chocolates
Also Jan. 18, the South Bend Chocolate Company, of South Bend, Ind., recalled several chocolate products, produced under its own brand and for other unspecified retailers after July 1, 2008:

South Bend Chocolate Company Assorted chocolates: 5 ounce (Product 121)
South Bend Chocolate Company Assorted chocolates: 8 ounce box (Product 122)
South Bend Chocolate Company Assorted chocolates: 12 ounce box (Product 123)
South Bend Chocolate Company Assorted chocolates: 26 ounce box (Product 124)
South Bend Chocolate Company Hoosiers 5 ounce (Product 010, UPC# 4482300011)
South Bend Chocolate Company Hoosiers 3.5 ounce (Product o11, UPC# 4482300010)
South Bend Chocolate Company Valentine Heart, 14 ounces (Product 1020)
The following recalled chocolates were sold to retail stores in bulk for sales of of smaller quantities directly to customers. (TDG note: It’s not clear how customers can distinguish these products from those from other manufacturers without asking the retailer who its supplier is.)

Consumers should return the product to the place of purchase. For information, contact The South Bend Chocolate Company at 574-233-2577.

Ralcorp, Lofthouse, Food Lion, Parco Foods’, Chuck’s Chunky, Pastries Plus and Wal-Mart peanut butter cookiesAlso Jan. 18, Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products recalled several products sold at its Food Lion stores because the products were made with peanut products from Peanut Corporation of America. All products will have a lot code of 9200 or less.

Private Selection Peanut Butter Passion Ice Cream sold in 48-ounce containers with a “Sell by” date of 9-13-2009 under the following UPC Code Number: 0001111054437.
Private Selection Peanut Butter Passion Ice Cream sold in 56-ounce containers with a “Sell by” date of 8-11-2009 under the following UPC Code Number: 0001111052816.
Consumers can return the product to the store of purchase for refund or replacement. For more information, contact Kroger toll-free at (800) 632-6900 or www.kroger.com/recalls.

Consumers should save the “Best By/Sell By” code found on the back of the package and seek a refund by contacting Clif Bar & Company at 1-800-CLIFBAR (1-800-254-3227). For more information, visit www.clifbar.com.